Adventures in Boots

Each winter I find myself fretting and wishing I had the pair of perfect boots. Not since I was 20 have I had a pair of boots that I have just LOVED and worn to bits. Even then, my feet ended up growing out of them first. They were black leather, knee high, full lace up with a louis/victorian heel. I wore them all the time! They were my perfect boot.

Since then, I have not been able to find anything that compares. I’ve had Dr Marten boots, which are supremely comfortable but not exactly ‘girly’. I have cowboy boots, which are great, but don’t necessarily go with everything. I’ve had cheap “one season only” boots because they were a good cut, but not leather, and I’ve had leather boots that I got at a good price or as part of a deal, but can’t wear for extended periods of time or when I’m walking a lot because of the high heel.

So what do I look for in a boot? Well I do have a checklist, and if the boot doesn’t fit, I don’t wear it! (awaiting groans of bemusement at the bad pun)

Low, substantial heel – I have to be able to wear the boot for more than an hour, so low heels are a must. The heel must be at least 1″ square, something that won’t have me teetering.

Mid-calf length – Too low and they look silly, too high and they won’t go around my rather exaggerated calf. Mid calf seems to be a good height for me.

Leather – Having had synthetic boots and shoes in the past, they just don’t have the lasting power of leather.

Lace up – I just prefer it. I think it has more character than zips.

Simple style – A lot of buckles, ruches, straps and ‘hardware’ can age the boot, style wise.

Rounded toe – This might seem silly, but pointy toed shoes ANNOY me. I have a size 8 foot on a 5’2″ (158cm) body, I don’t need an extra 2″ of apparent foot length. Squared toes reminds me of “The Witches” by Roald Dahl, and just can’t seem to wear them without giggling.

Not ridiculously expensive – I don’t have a great deal of expendable income to toss around on shoes and clothes, as I prefer to spend it on technology and makeup (go figure), and I like to thrift/make/make do/mend as possible.

Not an impossible list… right? Well, not really. Most boots I try on tend to fall MAJORLY short of one or more of the points on my list. Ones that fit like a dream are too expensive, ones that aren’t are just not comfortable, or just aren’t what I’m looking for. Happens EVERY year (or whenever I decide I want boots… or shoes for that matter).

This year was no different. Having a definite idea about what I was willing to compromise on, and what I wasn’t, I set out and tried on at LEAST 12 pair of boots. Understanding that I automatically discount knee highs and “booties” (really don’t like that name), there really wasn’t a lot left in between. After 4 hours of disappointment and frustration, I left my boot search to a later date.

The next day I was chatting with a girlfriend online, and we were discussing boots and shoes and a Google search brought up a store that happens to be close by. Perusing their boot category was not a waste of time at all! Not only did it look like they had a suitable boot, they were on sale! After ascertaining they had the right colour and size, I shot over with The Boy and my Mother-in-Law (to get a second opinion). They colour they were was what they called “Burnished Black”, which basically meant that it looked a little vintage and faded. To me, they just looked ashy. So before I wore them, I gave them a good buff up with some black polish and they came up looking black and spiffy, while still retaining a vintage look.

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3 thoughts on “Adventures in Boots”

I have boot dilemmas too – I’m a massive fan of boots, and for years I went for the ‘f me’ style of boot – high heel, to the knee, usually patent leather. More car-to-bar than actual running around town.

A few years ago I went with a ‘f off’ boot – low heel, zip, stretch gusset. And I’ve never looked back!

This year I’m after a lace up mid boot in brown with a fur lining and a fold down top. The only ones I can find are either $40 or $400 – nothing in between! So I keep searching…